95

Really enjoyed a cup of this before bed last night. The scent is amazing — it’s like freshly warmed apple strudel, just as its name promises, and the flavour comes out surprisingly well in the taste as well.

There’s a lot of apple in here — so much that the rooibos is sticking to it, and it comes out of the packet in clumps rather than smooth, free flowing loose tea. I actually quite like that about it — it’s not like the clumps are huge, and they look a bit like crumble topping. Funny how my mind works. Anyway, the taste here is pretty much dead-on apple strudel. There’s even that slightly gelatinous taste to the apples, like they’re in a thick, sugary sauce. I can taste something that reminds me of pastry, too, although I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that’s making me think that way. The spicing is perfect. Subtle enough that the apple shines through, and is the real star, but still easily tasteable. The rooibos here is a pretty good match too, I think. It has just the right herbally/woody aspect to offset the sweet, tart apple.

I love this, in short. So much that I think I’m going to have another cup tonight, rather than moving on to another rooibos/herbal tea. This is going to make a wonderful addition to my bedtime rotation this winter! Great stuff, Bluebird!

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
yyz

sounds awesome!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

People who liked this

Comments

yyz

sounds awesome!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

Location

Norfolk, UK

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer